THE job of a journalist is surely to question everything officialdom tells you. Thumbs down, then, to the south London News Shopper which published enough details to ensure that an alleged rape victim could be identified.

The online paper let down the alleged victim by publishing a picture and video of police entering the crime scene, which happened to be the woman’s home. To avoid any doubt, the footage also featured nearby shop fronts.

The woman complained to the The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) that it was “inconceivable that the newspaper had not considered that her identification was a likely consequence of its coverage”.

While the newspaper said it accepted that it published information which had led to the complainant’s identification and offered to apologise privately to her for the distress the article had caused, it said it did not see how it could have acted differently without more information from the police.

Here’s a tip, New Shopper, don’t rely on the police for all your information. It’s a sex crime. Revealing an alleged rape victim’s identity is a criminal offence. The paper got away lightly.